Sic parvis magna. Greatness from small beginnings. Not only are these words meaningful in the Uncharted franchise and define the series because of how insanely great it has become since its humble beginnings where it was initially written off as a Tomb Raider doppelganger until everyone played it, these words represent just how great Naughty Dog has become. Claimed to have began in 1984, where they worked on "garage" titles, Naughty Dog's first instance of prominence came in 1994with the incredibly successful and popular Crash Bandicoot franchise, followed by Jak and Daxter in later years. However, Naughty Dog's greatness was not apparent, for Crash Bandicoot was bettered by Mario and other games, Jak and Daxter was rivalled and bettered by Ratchet and Clank. Yet, when Uncharted 2 released, Naughty Dog became this phenomenon who could not be beat. Crystal Dynamic's Tomb Raider reboot, while great, has not reached Uncharted's feats, and likely never will. The Last of Us, in terms of rich, environmental storytelling, may never be conquered by another studio. The witty, humorous dialogue between characters has not even been nearly done better by another company. The set pieces, the characters, the story, the details, AAA companies do not do it better than Naughty Dog. Does Uncharted 4 continue Naughty Dog's baffling, only getting better with every game, tradition? Or is it a failure? In layman terms, Naughty Dog have produced another masterpiece.

First, I will discuss the brief, inconsequential when compared to everything the game does right, negatives. Honestly, negatives are hard to think of off the top of my head because of how overwhelming the games magnificence is. There's a new slide mechanic which, while awesome in moments such as when sliding down a muddy slope or a gush of water, is overused on many occasions and feels less special, especially when in Scotland and a slope of gravel is around every corner. The developers would have been better spreading them out more. While there's also the new addition of a rope, this fares perfectly into gameplay and betters the game in terms of platforming, puzzles and combat. However, there's no explanation for why Drake has never used it in previous titles, and while this is nitpicking as with every game you have to suspend your disbelief as to why character's in previous entries never equipped this much superior new gun, for example, a brief, passing quip explaining or acknowledging its absence would have been welcomed. One thing that players may welcome or be irritated by, is how easy the puzzles are. They're not difficult, at all, which is disappointing considering the puzzles we were greeted with in Uncharted 2 and 3. For the fourth instalment, they're too simple and similar, and a lot of the time they're environmental based like The Last of Us, such as how do I get up there, well I can move this crate.

Now that the brief, minor, negatives are out of the way, I shall now rightfully praise this game in a manner that would make even the developers blush. First, the story is incredible. Everyone discusses the story in Uncharted as if it has always been remarkable, but it really hasn't. The first Uncharted had a decent story with dull gameplay, but the second entry felt like a reboot and the first game done properly, as we had Nate and Elena falling in love again, and we had the supernatural twist at the very end. The third game, while great in that it focused on the father, son relationship between Sully and Drake, developing on Sully's rich character, it forced Nate and Elena to be apart so we could have them fall in love and walk off into the sunset again, we had another lost city discovered, we had the supernatural twist presented in the form of drugs and hallucinations, and plot threads went nowhere such as Marlowe knowing that Drake wasn't really an heir to Sir Francis. Uncharted 4's story is so good. Drake actually feels human this time, that he can be hurt emotionally and physically, you care more for him because of this. Elena is better than ever, you really care about her and Drake's relationship, and you really don't want to see things end on a bitter, sad note, and there are many instances where you feel sorry and as caring for her as you did for Ellie in The Last of Us.

Victor is Victor, Rafe is by far the best villain in the franchise as he's wonderfully acted, has a real motive, and is truly unpredictable, and Nadine Ross, while may be seen by some as a wasted character, although she isn't as she's instrumental to the game's end, is a badass who effortlessly bests Nathan. Samuel Drake, played by the remarkably talented, but perhaps overused, Troy Baker, is great. He's funny, witty, charming, he's helpful, and you feel real sympathy and empathy for him, especially when discovering his and his brother's back-story. Although he may have only been introduced in this game, we spend the most amount of time with him, and he easily becomes one of the better characters of the franchise, leagues ahead of a Chloe and Cutter, although they have their qualities. Uncharted 4 is a tale about family and love, and it's more emotionally impactful than ever, but there's also a great story revolving around Libertalia and Avery's treasure. In prior Uncharted games, the story revolving around the lost city has never been tremendous, whether it was El Delrado or Shambala, but with Avery's treasure there's twists and turns every chapter, and it becomes and more plausible and engaging as the journey progresses, which is done through rich, environmental storytelling, such as picking up objects and reading dark, sinister, and gruelling notes. The pacing is also better than ever. There's not a gun fight around every corner, they're spaced out, and unlike Uncharted 3, you spend multiple, long chapters in one country, rather than flying to a different one every two chapters, and because of this you oddly feel like you're actually exploring the country because you're seeing much more of it.

Excluding the Witcher 3 and Ratchet and Clank, no game of the next generation has wowed with its visuals. While we may say graphics are not the most important aspect of a game as story and gameplay are more prominent, graphics are an important aspect, and no game, even on PC, has better visuals than Uncharted 4, where the extreme attention to detail creates mind blowing and gushing views that make you just want to sit down and take in the view, and where you feel so immersed that you will actually believe you can smell the overwhelmingly beautiful nature. Locations are so vast and beautiful, and when you zoom in on environments in the distance, they don't fare any worse, and the wrinkles, the little movements in character faces, produce cutscenes where you feel as if you're watching a live movie, and where the slightest change in expression addresses a characters thoughts and emotion, there's no need for sloppy exposition to express a characters feelings, as the visuals can now accommodate for that.

Regarding gameplay, while it is improved from previous entries, it's not overwhelmingly better or distinctive. Platforming has improved because you can now control the movements of both of Nate's arms which, while will be underappreciated because players will repeatedly jump to ledges and things to grab hold of, creates a more realistic and slow paced experience that allows you to take everything in, and is more rewarding than solely jumping about like a superhero. The rope is a welcome addition and thankfully is fully controllable and not an animation like many feared because of a demo for the game showcased in the past; you can use it in combat and it's very helpful in puzzles, thankfully not to an irritating degree like the Batmobile in Batman Arkham Knight, but it's best in platforming sections where you swing from incredible heights which, when looking down and noticing how high up you are, makes you feel anxious, crazy and gives you this indescribable feeling in your gut, but you really feel as if you are Drake in these moments, and because of this you're more careful and wary when jumping because you do not want to plummet to your death, but thankfully Naughty Dog have made it easy to know when it's safe to leap from your rope, because Nate will tell you when it is by reaching his arm out. The game is more grounded, but there are still set pieces which blow your mind and make you feel as if you're playing a live action movie. The best thing about them is that they do not feel forced such as the car chasing after Nate in that dreadfully tight street in Uncharted 2, and the game doesn't feel as if the story is just about getting to the next set piece like Uncharted 3, they're spread out, they make sense, and they feel more realistic, while obviously forcing you to suspend your disbelief on occasions, just like every other action movie and game.

There's an emphasis on co-operation in this title, ripped straight from The Last of Us, and it adds more to the characters that accompany Drake on his quest. They always feel alive, not just in cut scenes. They do things on their own, they take different routes to you, they fully engage in conversations with you, with extra ones being available similar to The Last of Us, and they also help out in combat as Sam, for instance, will stay stealthy as long as you do, and mark enemies that you have not, and also take out enemies if he's nearby and you're in trouble of being seen. It also needs to be noticed that partners this time do not idiotically run around the enemies like Ellie in The Last of Us, they actually do hide and stay out of enemies view, but if they are seen or do it on a rare occasion, enemies will only be triggered by the sight of yourself, which is represented by a symbol which fills up white if enemies notice you for a slight second, yellow if they become suspicious, and orange if they're fully aware of you and force you to exit stealth. Stealth is an incredible addition added to the franchise and it's more satisfying to take enemies out stealthily than it is to go in gun blazing, as well as it is to just go around enemies undetected and avoid them altogether, because it feels more clever and realistic, and it can rid Drake of this notion as a character who literally kills thousands of men with families who are just doing their jobs as hired mercenaries.

In Conclusion

Uncharted 4 is remarkable. It's a masterpiece. It's the first, excluding the Witcher 3, next generation game that I was anticipating to a disgusting degree, and was not disappointed by, but had my expectations exceeded. I did not know Naughty Dog could do with Uncharted what they have because of its admitted lack of depth and realism in the past, along with cartoony villains, clichéd plot devices, and predictability. Uncharted 4 is by far the best game of the series, and it's really telling that Naughty Dog put every inch of their heart and soul into this game to give the fans and franchise a much loving and deserved send off. To reap the benefits and to gain the full emotional experience of the game, you really do need to have played the past entries because there are so many wonderful references, with literally an attic full of them, and you really do need to take your time, explore the landscapes to witness the optional dialogue conversations, read every interesting, never boring note, there's no need to rush this game and you're experience will be better for it. Is Uncharted 4 better than The Last of Us? To me, yes, but they're both masterpieces so the opinion will be divided, but one thing's for certain, Naughty Dog, with an incredible, heart and soul crafted game, and epic epilogue, have made a franchise ending worthy game that has ridden off into the sunset, like Nate and Elena on so many occasions.

Uncharted 4 gets a 10/10.

Please let me know in the comments below what you thought of Uncharted 4, but please keep it spoiler free in case of others.

2015 was hyped up to be the greatest year in gaming history. Metal Gear Solid 5, Fallout 4, The Witcher 3, and Batman Arkham Knight were all released, so how could it not? Well, the fact that my most anticipated game of the year, Persona 5, was delayed until summer 2016, added with the undeniably strong feeling of disappointment that accompanied almost every big title, 2015 surprisingly ended up being one of the most underwhelming gaming years I can recall. This list comprises of both the best and most disappointing games of the year because the most outstanding games had the potential to be so much better.

Until Dawn - Best - Great Game

I have long anticipated Until Dawn. I remember being ever so excited for it when it was first revealed to be a PS3 exclusive and it was shown off with that horrendously bad rip off of the WII remote. Until its release, I was very worried about the title. I wasn't frightened of it being bad, I was terrified that the game was canned. I just so badly wanted it. Thankfully Sony didn't pull the plug on it and while I am surprised they haven't marketed this exclusive as strongly as they have their others, I am glad the game was well received critically and by fans, and I am positive that we will one day get a sequel (or a game moulded in an eerily similar fashion by the same studio) which Sony will market much better, as Until Dawn is a gem that they failed to realise. The game is outstandingly beautiful, the score is terrific, the cinematography is top notch and the camera angles rival that of Silent Hill. Top that off with a story and dialogue that is a love letter to horror movies and characters that you grow with and change as they do (we all hated them at first and grew to like some of them, except Ashley, for me she changed from liking to purposely killing because she purposely didn't open the door for me as Chris, resulting in me dying), along with choices that actually matter (take not Telltale and Quantic Dream) with an outstanding game mechanic called the Butterfly effect, and being able to choose what scares you the most, Until Dawn is a great game, the best PS4 exclusive so far, and one of the best interactive titles I've ever played.

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain - Best/Grossly Disappointing

I did a review on Metal Gear Solid 5 and I gave it an 8/10. I complimented the gameplay, mostly the addictive nature of it, along with the characters (especially Quiet), music, graphics and its weather dynamic. However, I was grossly disappointed with this game. Not only was it not finished, not only did we have to repeat the same missions but with specific instructions for almost the entirety of chapter 2 (making it repetitive and underwhelming) and not only did we not get any boss fights, or at least memorable ones like past Metal Gear Solid games, but the story (a crucial element of the Metal Gear Solid franchise) was average at the best, and the game felt like something designed for those who aren't Metal Gear Solid fans. I appreciate the gameplay and how much there is of it, but I sorely missed the long, entertaining, story and character driven cut scenes, and it's bizarre for a game to have so much story hidden away in tapes, which I listened to, but not everyone else is going to. The story when listening to the tapes is much better and while it is not as riveting as other Metal Gear Solid tales, it's still strong. Unfortunately, the game was wrongly more targeted to non Metal Gear Solid fans, and it got rid of what makes Metal Gear Solid stand out and so great. While Metal Gear Solid 5 is one of the best games of the year because of how fun and addictive it is, it's my least favourite game in the franchise and it is the only Metal Gear Solid game I have sold for cash. That's saying something.

Batman Arkham Knight - Best/Disappointing

I thoroughly enjoyed Batman Arkham Knight, however, I do have mixed feelings about it. I'm a story and character driven gamer, those are the two most important elements for myself, so on that note Batman Arkham Knight is my favourite of the Arkham series. Yet, I am sorely disappointed by it still. While the production quality of the game is magnificent, the story, acting and cinematography rival that of an outstanding movie, everything else is either the same, underwhelming, or frustratingly annoying. Similar to Metal Gear Solid 5, we didn't get any boss battles (a highlight of the Arkham games), the side missions were repetitive and insultingly short and simple, and the Batmobile was too overused. It felt like I was a toddler who was trying to enjoy my Batman figurine, but Rocksteady was my overbearing parents, trying to force something entirely new on me. Driving around Gotham in the Batmobile, while fun, is nothing compared to gliding around the city, and the combat, while fun and refreshing the first couple of times, quickly becomes repetitive, tedious and a chore. Fortunately, while I do remember how painful the Batmobile was, what I most remember about the game is its excellent story (excluding the Arkham Knight reveal), the psychological aspect and the incredible final mission.

Fallout 4 - Best/Disappointing - Didn't Complete

I took a gamble on Fallout 4. I enjoyed Skyrim, but I never played Fallout 3. I never had a strong urge to do so. Something about it never won me over. Yet it was impossible to ignore the hype surrounding Fallout 4 and I couldn't not get it. It was the game that everyone was discussing, whether it be in a positive or negative way. While it wasn't received as well as I thought it would of been, I was still excited for it. I played twenty hours of the game and I enjoyed it. The combat was fun, the graphics (while dated) were colourful and had a unique, nice style to it, but I never felt the urge to play it for more than two hours a day and when I did stop playing, I was never dying to experience the world again. The story did not engross me and while I've heard it gets better so many hours into the game, that is not justifiable to me. A story should be gripping or hook its chains into you at the very beginning and you shouldn't need to be put through so many hours of unfocused, seemingly pointless moments to finally get to something good. If a game getting good so many hours later was justifiable, I would've suffered ninety hours of pain with Final Fantasy XIII. The dialogue system is also shallow compared to Fallout 3, the characters were not my cup of tea (except Piper and her sweet daughter), and I think the game was lacking a morality mechanic which I've heard Fallout New Vegas implemented perfectly. Delving in to the history of the Fallout games, I think 1 and 2 are definitely more suited to me. I eventually sold Fallout 4 to get cash so I could purchase Divinity Original Sin: Enhanced Edition, and that game is much more up my ally. However, it will not feature on this list because it was originally released last year on PC's.

Witcher 3 - Game of the year - Masterpiece

The Witcher 3 is a masterpiece. Albeit a messy one, it is still a breathtaking masterpiece. I couldn't put my controller down. Thankfully I got the game during the summer rather than while I was at University, or else I would've more than likely failed assignments due to not being able to stop playing the game. Adjectives such as amazing, astonishing, outstanding do not justify it. What ultimately separates the Witcher 3 from Fallout 4, is that you can see the Witcher 3 greatly improved upon its predecessor, while from what I've heard and seen, Fallout 4 did not. Having played and completed the Witcher 2, thinking it was a solid RPG, I was excited for the finale to Geralt's story, but I was not head over heels hyped for it like seemingly every gamer was. I thought it looked impressive and beautiful, but it wasn't something I had the urge to pre-order like Metal Gear Solid 5. Ignorant I was, and the game rightfully slapped me across the face with its amazing characters, great story, excellent combat, and immersing features. I can't discuss everything that makes the Witcher 3 the best game to be released in the last two years or else I'll never stop typing, but if you haven't played it, you need to, and if you do pick it up, do not be an ignoramus like myself and side-line gwent. I did that on my first playthrough, but after giving it more of a chance on my second, I could never stop myself from looking around the towns to find someone to play gwent with, and my thirst to collect all the cards would make that of a real life card collector blush. It's not a perfect game as the camera sometimes gets stuck and Geralt moves sluggishly while walking, but the many positives far outweigh the few annoyances.

2015 is no doubt an amazing year for gamers. It's easily one of the best years of all time in the gaming industry. We've had Batman Arkham Knight, we've had the Witcher 3, we've had unexpected gems like Until Dawn, and we still have games like Fallout 4, Rise of the Tomb Raider, and Just Cause 3 on the horizon. Games that make your mouth froth with excitement. However, like many, Metal Gear Solid 5 has been my most anticipated game of the year, and I'm sad, as well as delighted, to say that it is the most disappointing game of the year thus far, but still the best game of the year.

Metal Gear Solid 5 takes place after the events of Ground Zeroes. You enable Big Boss, and have woken up in a hospital in Cyprus after being in a coma which lasted nine years. The beginning of the game is simply outstanding. It starts off incredibly stylish as 'the man who sold the world' plays on the radio, and it quickly turns into a fantastical nightmare which is so tense, frightening, creative, and jaw dropping. After the beginning, the story is still strong, but there's sadly no moment which I would define as a Metal Gear moment. There's a story there, but it's strangely tucked away in cassette tapes, which albeit interesting and enjoyable to listen to, do not make up for the absence of long cinematic cut scenes. There are still plenty of cut scenes, which are beautiful especially with how they run as one shot, but to Metal Gear fanatics, especially those who adored Guns of the Patriots, you're really going to miss the long cut scenes which added to the story in previous games. It's so jarring, that Metal Gear Solid 5 doesn't even feel like a Metal Gear game most of the time.

The open world of Afghanistan and Africa are impressive. They feel like actual worlds with how sandstorms randomly occur, along with rain in the tree infested plains of Africa, all of which adds elements to the gameplay as well as the authentic feel of the environments. They're so beautifully detailed as well, that each and every rock, tree, piece of grass, feels as if it has been designed with the utmost care on its own. Open base camps are just a joy to infiltrate as there are so many approaches you can take, and you really don't pine for stealth in tight corridors and linear buildings.

A buddy system has been developed, and it's my favourite feature of any Metal Gear game. While D-Horse is an okay buddy for starters as he helps you roam around Afghanistan quickly, once you get D-Dog and Quiet, you'll never use him again because of how helpful those two are. D-Dog can sniff out landmines and enemies from vast distances, which makes the game so much easier, and almost a challenge to get caught. He hardly makes an error, or leaves an enemy untagged. While Quiet is similar with how she scouts base camps, tagging enemies and weapons, unlike D-Dog, she can only tag enemies that are in sight, rather than sniff out enemies that are located in buildings. However, unlike D-Dog, you can have her do all the work for you. Want to be lazy, sit back, and just watch Quiet put all enemies to sleep with her Guilty Butterfly sniper rifle, and pick up the pieces by sending all soldiers back to Mother Base? You can. Both are great buddies to have, and if you're on the verge of being spotted by an enemy, Quiet will automatically shoot him if you have her covering you, and you can send D-Dog to silently kill him so that you're still unnoticed.

In Metal Gear Solid 5, you pick up resources while on missions, and gain GMP for completing side ops and main missions. These allow you to develop items, and build further platforms for Mother Base. It's an incredibly addictive feature as you find yourself wanting to complete side ops so that you gain the GMP you need to build particular weapons, or you painfully look around base camps for fuel resources to develop further platforms that you need for Mother Base in order to recruit more soldiers. There's always something you want to develop. Be it a suit, a weapon, a platform, or some equipment for your buddy.

The characters in the story range from good to bad. Skull Face is adequate, but with the hype surrounding him, it's easy to be disappointed in him if you don't reflect on his impact on the entire Metal Gear franchise. Miller and Ocelot are strong and well voice acted, and Huey Emmerich is so well designed as a snivelling weasel, that you just so badly want to smack him around with your prosthetic arm. While the Man on Fire, the Skulls, Eli, and the kid who is Psycho Mantis in Metal Gear Solid 1, are disappointing due to how little they feature in the story, and because of the biggest sin, which is having no incredible boss fights, especially compared to previous Metal Gear games.

Quiet, however, is the stand out character. It's impossible to not fall in love with her. Could she have been better designed? Yes. But honestly, who cares? It's not offensive, and while a better design could've had sex appeal but not be so blatant, it's a Metal Gear game, which has always exploited the sex of both men and women, and the design of her doesn't hinder her appeal. She has such an impact on you, one I wasn't aware of until her final moments, that I actually couldn't contain my tears over her ending, and playing the game afterwards felt so empty without her. I actually decided not to one hundred percent the game, and I completely started over because of how much I missed her. You just fall in love with her, with is amazing when you consider the fact that she's a character who says little to nothing.

The biggest problem with Metal Gear Solid 5 is not the cut ending, is not the questions you're left with, is not the lack of cut scenes, is not the fact that the boss fights are poor compared to previous games, but the fact that the majority of chapter two is replaying missions on harder difficulty. This is unforgivable. Did I want to replay a mission with complete stealth? Well, that is what I tried to accomplish when playing the mission for the first time, but no, I did not want to replay a mission with getting caught being equal to dying. I did not want to replay protecting Code Talker from the Skulls. I did not want to replay the boss battle with Sahelanthropus, despite how cool his design is. It's boring, it's repetitive, and it's frustrating because when you fail, you want to rip your hair out because you essentially don't want to replay the missions in the first place. You want to get them over and done with as quick as possible. The fact that you have to complete them to complete the game, is ridiculous. At best, they should be side ops, and the important side ops should've been main missions with a cut scene after them. What was the logic in not having the important side ops just be main missions? Especially when some of them become main missions? It just doesn't make any sense. However, despite this major flaw, the game is impossible to not come back to. You're addicted to it. You just want more and more. It's like white chocolate compared to normal. Metal Gear Solid 5 is white chocolate with how it's delicious and you want more of it, but compared to normal chocolate which is the other Metal Gear games, despite being tasty, it falls in comparison.

In conclusion...

Metal Gear Solid 5 is a fantastic game. I cannot put enough emphasis on that. However, it is clearly unfinished due to how chapter two is mainly repeats of earlier missions, and because of how an ending was cut that seems as if it was meant to be in the game because of how far in development Kojima and his team went with it, and because of how they included it in special editions. This game should've been pushed to 2016, and we would've been better off for it. Had Kojima been given the time to implement everything that he had of wanted, we would've had a much better game, something that would've perhaps been the best Metal Gear Solid game of all time. But, he didn't, and we're left with a fantastic game that is the best game of the year so far, but also the most disappointing game, and something that strangely doesn't feel like a Metal Gear game most of the time.

Overall, Metal Gear Solid 5 gets a 8/10

Thank you ever so much for taking the time to read my review. I greatly appreciate it. Please let me know in the comments what you thought of my review, perhaps what you agree and disagree with me about, and what your thoughts on the game are.

Sad

I guess you could label me as a "sappy" person because of me crying at many moments in movies and video games that are sad and tear jerking worthy. The death of Marley in 'Marley and Me', Joel coldly attempting to get rid of Ellie and saying she's not his daughter in 'The Last of Us', Sora sacrificing himself for Kairi in 'Kingdom Hearts' and many, many more. However, while those moments had just tears scroll down my cheeks, one moment had me blubbering like a baby throughout the entirety of it and left me in a depressed state. When TellTale's 'Walking Dead' season 1 was released, I don't believe anyone expected the masterpiece it turned out to be and I was shockingly and pleasantly surprised by the well written characters, episodes, set pieces and depth of the game. In it, you meet Clementine and you develop an amazingly strong bond with the character that you even forget she's a bunch of pixels, and see her as your own daughter. You don't want to see her get hurt, you want to protect her from witnessing disgusting acts or horrific events and you wish to make a good example for her and be a role model, even if it means not doing immoral acts that would help you greatly at the possible expense of others. At the end of the season, you have to let Clementine go in one of the most agonisingly depressing and stretched out moments that makes a lump develop in the back of your throat, leaves you speechless and trying, but failing, to hold back a flood of tears that could form a river larger than the river Nile. You just don't want to let her go because you've come to love her as your daughter, but you have no choice due to turning into a zombie, and seeing her plead for you not to give up and continue your journey with her, is incredibly heart breaking and unbearable, especially when you have to decide whether to be selfish and instruct her to kill you to prevent you turning into a zombie, or to let her go and not make her have to do such a difficult and overwhelming task.

Romantic

I'm a sucker for a GOOD romantic movie, even though they come in small chunks. Often they tend to be overwhelmingly corny, cheesy and just, ugh. However, there are great romantic movies out there in the world of cinema, such as '500 Days of Summer', 'Never Let Me Go' and 'Her' in particular. Before I saw 'Blue Valentine' I wasn't a fan of Ryan Gosling because I saw him as a bad actor who women just orgasmed over because of his sly smile. But after watching the great movie co-starring Michelle Williams, I respected him far more and his acting credentials, especially after discovering the amount of effort him and Michelle went to in order to prepare for the role and how they improvised every scene in the film. The movie shows the item as a dysfunctional couple with a child that are clearly stressed and don't appear to be in love, while constantly cross cutting to the past to show how the item became a couple and it's incredibly beautiful and sad to watch them fall in love, and fall out of love. The best scene of the movie is easily when Gosling sings, 'You always hurt the one's you love' to her while playing his miniature acoustic guitar in public. In any other movie it would be corny and have you laughing or hiding your face in embarrassment, but in 'Blue Valentine' it's somehow not. It's just whimsical and beautiful, as well as sad due to us knowing how their relationship pans out and how they ruin each others life.

Scary

I honestly can't pick out one moment due to me playing many, many horror games that have had me quaking in my boots and afraid to turn the corner. The likes of (Every) 'Slender', 'Amnesia', 'Outlast', 'Silent Hill', 'RE4', 'Dead Space' and many others. However, I would say that the original 'Slender' is the scariest game I have played as while the graphics aren't amazing, the atmosphere and sound makes it, in my opinion, the scariest game I have played because of how tense and suspenseful the beat in the background makes everything, especially when you collect more and more pages or notes. You begin to fear what could possibly be around the corner or stalking you from behind as you collect more and more pages, and when 'Slenderman' eventually does get you, it always results in a jump scare.

If you wish to, check out my three video's of me playing horror games ('Eye's', 'Slender Space', and 'Slender Torture Chamber'). I've only just started doing YouTube video's so my commentary isn't as amazing as it could be (I'm not going to lie) and I have literally no budget so I have to use 'Screenomatic' to record my screen so sometimes a small yellow ring appears on the screen for a couple of seconds. But there's many (and I do mean MANY) jump scares if you're a fan of watching them. If you enjoy them (probably won't), please do subscribe and leave a like as I'll be making many, many more videos. Attempting to upload at least one or two video's every day.

Well, that's my top sad and romantic moments as well as scary (sort of). Let me know what you think and if you wish to share yours do so in the comments below, as well as perhaps take part in the project. Thank you for reading.

'Watch Dogs' acts as a valuable lesson in teaching gamers to never over hype a product, as the final result will often be a disappointment. Ever since being announced at E3 2012 with a spectacular demo that everybody immediately fell in love with, the game had been talked about non stop with people already labelling it as a game of the year contender. With the way that the stories about it were continually becoming greater and more overwhelming, disappointment for many was almost inevitable, and while it can be argued that it's greatly down to 'Ubisoft's' poor advertising as the final product is far from what they led us to believe, it's also down to how people believed they were getting something that was the equivalent to the legend of John Henry's hammer, a status you just can't live up to.

The narrative revolves around Aiden Pierce, a "vigilante" hacker who is hell bent on avenging the loss of his niece, while also desperately attempting to rescue his sister from former friend Damien. The story is solid, nothing new, but nothing terrible. The main problem with it is that you're enabling Aiden Pierce, a guy who supports the most ludicrous outfit for someone who wants to blend into environments and crowds, as it stands out remarkably. In 'Batman Begins' Bruce told Alfred that the Batman suit is a symbol and that anybody could be behind the mask and strike fear into the hearts of criminals, the suit is symbolic and so is the gear that Aiden supports. Sadly, while the suit is the most memorable thing about Batman, it isn't the only quality of his you remember, but it's the exact opposite for Aiden. All you'll remember about him is his trench coat and cap. He's just painfully dull and wooden. You never feel any emotion from him that captivates you into being emotionally invested in him.

While the lead disappoints, the supporting cast do a much better job in entertaining you and showing off their unique personalities. Jordi Chin is a sure fan favourite because of his quirky, non too serious attitude that will often have you watching him with a grin painted on your face because of his humorous and unusual antics. Unfortunately, Jordi takes a back seat to Aiden that results in him being painfully underused. You want to see more of the guy and witness more of his crazy endeavours. This also emphasises how boring and lifeless Aiden is, as you'll no doubt begin wishing you was controlling Jordi instead of him. Heck, you'd rather be enabling the old lady crossing the street, or the many other controversial and weird (to be kind) civilians of Chicago. However, while Jordi's bound to be the shining light in the eyes of many gamers as well as perhaps the greasy bearded T-Bone, the character I was most invested in was Clara. Clara reminded me so much of Lisbeth Salander from the epic Swedish 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' trilogy, through her leather gear, distasteful and over usage of piercings, and by her being covered in tattoo's. Yet I do have to complain about 'Ubisoft's' utterly ridiculous attempt to be clever in hiding her gender, by having her possess a childish username in 'BadBoy17' with an icon that seemed to be from the 'Call Of Duty' franchise. Immediately you knew it wasn't going to be a male, and humorously, you'd be justified in toying with the idea of it being a ten year old.

I feel like a broken record by repeatedly uttering "unfortunately", but I sadly must as that is 'Watch Dogs'. With every positive, there is a negative that tarnishes the pros of the game. That negative comes in the form of Nicky, Aiden's sister who you're supposed to be desperately trying to rescue while feeling a never ending sense of urgency. Nicky's not presented terribly, but you don't really care for her as you know her for little over five minutes before she gets kidnapped. You don't have the time or information required about her to get emotionally invested in her. All you know is that she's your sister, and a good mother. So the equivalent to many damsels in distress. A sense of urgency could've been crafted by having Damien phone Aiden while torturing his sister and having her plea for him to rescue her, but no; instead we get her chatting to Aiden as if she's in no danger at all. They may as well have been serving her tea and crumpets. It results in you not caring about her as for one, she never stops complaining or insulting you when on the phone, and two, you never feel that Damien's going to murder her if you don't do what he says. Her child Jackson also disappoints. While again not terrible, you just don't care for him like 'Ubisoft' intended you to. Yes, he's a child and the situation must be awful for him and will likely result in him being traumatised forever, but you rarely ever see him and you're only reminded of his existence a couple of times. At one point, I even completely forgot he existed. It would've been much better if they kidnapped the child, as that would've made for a much more hostile and stressed relationship between Nicky and Aiden, and it would've successfully created the sense of urgency they were going for.

The narrative's average, and the characters are a mixed bag that range from great to terrible. But how's the meat of the game? The gameplay. The gameplay's excellent, but unfortunately repetitive. You take part in the same missions, over and over and over again. A campaign being twenty to thirty hours long on paper is great, but with repetitive missions, an average story and a mixed bag of characters, you really do feel the length and it begins to feel like a chore ten to fifteen hours into it. Being able to seamlessly hack camera's to survey the battlefield, and hack grenades on foes causing them to blow up, or explode surfaces that they either venture onto or pass by is great. It's fun, and taking part in car chases where you can hack traffic lights causing your foes to crash into a stampede of other vehicles as well as being able to set up road blocks and perform other malicious acts on the road, is a chaotic blast. Sadly, it does get old after a while and with the AI not being smart, the game is not at all challenging. The non too difficult nature of the game is subtle when attempting to complete the game in the "right way" by hacking everything in sight, but you could just as easily roam through the battlefield undetected and take enemies out silently with your silenced pistol with ease, a method I chose to do over and over again when getting bored, and just wanting to complete the game.

The cover system is brilliant. You're able to select where to cover by setting the location in your sight, and pressing 'X' if it highlights. Aiden will then sprint to the chosen protector, and if you wish to go somewhere else during the action or you sight another opportunity, you can easily stop the event by moving the left analog stick which gives you full control of Aiden's movement again.

I also question the logic of missions. In many missions you are given the task of taking down chosen foes, rather than killing them. However, no explanation is provided as to why. It's blatantly done to make the missions more difficult, but results in them just being more tedious. When you eventually do take them down after killing the rest of the merry band of enemies, you obtain absolutely nothing. Why couldn't you just kill them? The argument that Aiden is not a psychopathic killer has arisen, but it makes no sense due to how he's never had trouble killing everybody else in sight. It's especially tedious when having to take down an enemy in a car chase, as when they eventually do brake and get out of the car, you have to get out the car also and chase after them with his gang driving after you and shooting at you.

The side missions are basically the same as the campaign ones, which adds to the repetitive nature of the game and chore like feeling. After completing a few, you just give up on them due to how they offer little reward and because of how boring and lacklustre they are. It is clear that the focus of the game wasn't quality, but rather quantity. I do also have to question the game being a sandbox title. This immediately puts it up against the competition of 'Grand Theft Auto' and 'Saints Row', which the game suffers from. It doesn't seem to know if it wants to be a whacky, chaotic and non too serious game like 'Saints Row', or if it wants to be this epic, serious, brutal and challenging title like 'Grand Theft Auto'. In the end, it attempts to be a balance of both, and fails miserably. I honestly believe that 'Watch Dogs' would've been better as a linear game, as that way the missions could've been more diverse and varied, and the story and characters could've been greatly improved, rather than the developers focusing on cramming far too much into it.

The side activities are again, a mixed bag. While you have fun activities such as survival chess which is great for those like myself that love the game of wits along with poker, you have boring games such as seeing who can drink the most alcohol and cash run. You also have the digital activities which have no justifiable reason for being in the game as they completely go against the tone and mood. They feel so out of place, and it feels as if they're attempting to re-create the wackiness, zaniness and chaos of 'Saints Row'. They fail miserably, as they're nothing more than cheap attempts at fun that you'll play through only once and never even think about touching again. The only game many may enjoy is the Spider Tank activity, but it quickly gets old and I found it to be lacklustre and tiresome.

A lot of controversy has surrounded the look of the game, but the complaints raised, for the most part, are idiotic. Does the game look as good as it did at the E3 2012 demo? No. Does it look as good as 'GTA V'? No. Can you tell a car is a car. Yes. Can you tell a tree is a tree? Yes. Can you tell the difference between a male and female? Yes. Overall, the graphics are very good. It seems we've got to the point where gamers will rashly hate on a game if it doesn't look as good as 'GTA V' or 'The Last of Us' which is sad and pathetic. Great graphics don't make a great game. A great story, great characters and great gameplay make a great game. I'd much rather play a poor looking title that has these features, rather than a beautiful one that doesn't. The character models are excellent, the environments, while appearing the same for the most part, are very detailed and lifelike and the game looks very realistic, is incredibly detailed and looks beautiful.

Sound is crucial to video games, movies and TV shows and unfortunately, the sound in 'Watch Dogs' is poor. While the soundtracks decent, the tunes you get by hacking civilians are atrocious. I could never find a good song no matter how many songs I skipped through, and in the end, I ended up listening to nothing except my very own iPhone when driving.

Online is incredible and unique fun. In a way, it sort of reminds me of the 'Assassins Creed' multiplayer in how you have to track down the foe while they attempt to blend in with the crowd. Whether you're the one being hacked or the hacker, you always feel a great sense of urgency because of time running out. You especially find yourself panicking in the dying few seconds when you're the one being hacked, because you're aware that the likelihood of you stopping them is minimal and is continually getting smaller.

The verdict

'Watch Dogs' is a good game, but a repetitive one. If you're someone who plays games for an engaging story and characters, 'Watch Dogs' will disappoint you as the narrative is average and the characters range from interesting to poor. However, if you're someone who wants something that is fun and feels fresh early on, then you'll enjoy 'Watch Dogs' with its interesting gameplay and many side activities. It's not a game that feels or defines next gen, it's not a game that will be a game of the year contender and it's certainly not a game that lived up to its hype. However, with a sequel inevitable, they have laid a solid foundation and hopefully the next entry in the franchise will be much better by having more diverse missions, better characters and story as well as a new protagonist and more unique online modes.

If you've played or completed 'Watch Dogs', let me know in the comments below what you thought of it as well as what points of my review you agree or disagree with.